More Opportunities to Heart the Heartlands

Thanks to everyone who joined The Nature Conservancy and Michigan Department of Natural Resources at our Heartlands Update last month. For those who couldn’t attend, you can access a recording of the meeting and the PowerPoint presentation on the Keweenaw Community Foundation’s website.

Julia Petersen, Project Manager, Keweenaw Peninsula - The Nature Conservancy

Following the meeting, we held our first two Heart the Heartlands events, which included guided hikes of our Mt. Baldy and Mary McDonald preserves. You may have also spotted TNC’s Julia Petersen at the recent Eagle Harbor Art Fair or Copper Harbor Trails Fest.

We have more events coming up this fall too! On Saturday, Oct. 5 you can join TNC and Eagle Harbor Township atop Brockway Mountain to experience and celebrate autumn with cider, donuts, and a view of the Keweenaw Heartlands bursting with fall colors. On Saturday, Oct. 12, TNC is partnering with the Keweenaw ATV Club for a beautiful, fall ATV slow ride through the Heartlands. Registration is required for both events and can be completed online and also online here.

DNR General Management Plan Update

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has begun the General Management Plan process for Fort Wilkins Historic State Park and the Keweenaw Point state lands. This process will result in two distinct plans, developed concurrently, with one focused on the Fort Wilkins footprint and the other focused on the Keweenaw Point state lands. The Keweenaw Point state lands encompass about 20,000 acres, including roughly 10,000 acres of the current Heartlands property to be acquired by the DNR and an additional 10,000 acres of existing state forest.  

Both general management plans will define a long-range (10- 20-year) planning and management strategy that protects the sites’ natural and cultural resources and provides access to land- and water-based public recreation and education opportunities. 

The plan for the Keweenaw Point state lands will build on many of the values outlined in the Blueprint for the Keweenaw Heartlands and information gathered by the TNC.  

To gather public input on these plans, the DNR will offer several opportunities:

  • Online public input surveys for both projects in mid-October to solicit input on current use, level of satisfaction and future desires.

  • An in-person public information meeting at the end of October in Grant Township to share information on the Keweenaw Point state lands, the planning process and to answer questions.

  • A virtual public information meeting will also be available to provide a similar experience for those unable to attend in person. 

Details on these engagement opportunities will be released in early-October, including in the October version of this newsletter.

Following these engagement activities, the DNR will analyze the feedback, develop draft plans, and share them for further public review and comment, tentatively scheduled for May 2025, before final adoption of the plans.

Keweenaw Heartlands Messaging Update

When TNC first purchased the Keweenaw Heartlands, we decided internally how we wanted to talk about the land and connect this project back to our global goal of conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. As a large portion of the Heartlands forest moves steadily toward local, public governance, we are transitioning to messages that are agreed upon and shared by the community. To do so, the Heartlands Community Advisory Committee wanted to understand how you talk about this forest and its future. 

The messaging you see below is the result of months of discussion and brainstorming with a dedicated group of community leaders, with messaging further informed by feedback from the public. These messages are meant to give the gist of the Keweenaw Heartlands project from the community’s perspective. See what you think!

  1. A community led forest.

    • The community will prioritize impacts on—and ensures benefits for—local people and the environment long-term.

  2. Local decision making and care for the land.

    • Decision-making and responsibility for the forest are in the hands of the local community.

  3. Access to nature always.

    • Sustainable forest access is maintained and improved by the community, for the benefit of the Keweenaw’s residents and visitors alike.

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Keweenaw Community Foundation